Pause The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story
by iKnowLotsOfThings
Summary: August 31st used to be a happy day for Dipper Pines, but that was before he lost his twin sister four years ago. Now his birthday holds a much more solemn meaning. Much to his surprise, he finds Blendin Blandin's time traveling device & hatches a plan to travel to the past. Will he be able to save Mabel and Pacifica & just how will his own future change if he succeeds in doing so?
1. Chapter 1

**Pause The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

A black Fjord Stallion muscle car rumbled up to the shore of Lake Gravity Falls as its headlights cut through the ever fading light of the early evening. Emerging from the vehicle was none other than twenty-one year old Dipper Pines, who was looking to find a tranquil spot to reflect on what had become a trying day. August 31st didn't always hold a somber place in the heart of the brown haired man and as he took out his phone, he tried to remind himself of that fact. An absolutely electric smile beamed from the familiar face of a then seventeen year old Mabel Pines as the distraught man visited her long dormant FacePage profile. Scrolling past the seemingly endless messages people had written since her passing, Dipper finally found what he was looking for. It was the last post that the energetic young woman would ever publish and in some ways it was a perfect summary of her personality. ' _Excited to finally be back in Gravity Falls! This summer is going to be the best one yet!_ ' the short comment read. "Of course that would be her last post..." Dipper commented as he looked longingly at the screen.

Clicking on her photo albums, Dipper was taken back to days gone by and reminded of futures that would never come to pass. He started at the beginning as he removed a glass bottle from the box beside him and twisted off the metal cap. Taking a swig of the bitter brew that it contained, he scrolled through seemingly countless pictures of the bright pink sweater clad girl. Not having owned a smartphone their first summer in Oregon, Mabel had taken these photos with a digital camera; uploading them when the duo returned home to California. While she had left out the photos of the supernatural and downright bizarre offerings the small Pacific Northwest town had to offer, the brunette teen girl had taken plenty of other pictures. Memories flooded the mind of twenty-one year old Dipper Pines as he continued to view image after image that his late sister had posted to the social media site. The dark of the night crept in as the young man became enthralled with each picture; trying to remember what had happened not only in those moments forever captured, but the ones before and after them.

Before he knew it, a few hours had passed and the six pack of beer was gone. Getting up from the now cool metal hood of his car, the chestnut haired man decided to take a walk along the shoreline in hopes of clearing his mind. A bit inebriated, he failed to notice an object that jutted up from the otherwise flat ground; his sneaker catching it, which caused him to stumble and fall down. "Ugh! What the fuck did I trip on?!" he said with a bit of anger as he collected himself and stood up. Glancing over, he spied a square yellow object sticking out of the soft soil. "What the?!" the twenty-one year old man asked as he removed the obstruction from its earthen home. He immediately recognized what it was; none other than the time traveling tape measurer that he and Mabel had used during their first summer in Gravity Falls. The young man's hands trembled as a sudden realization came over him. "What if I could go back and change everything?" he said to himself as he contemplated doing such a thing. Taking his phone out of his pocket, he unlocked it and was greeted by the image of him, his sister and Pacifica on one of their final outings to the local mini golf course. "What if you didn't die that day?" he thought to himself as he pulled the silver tape out about a foot and saw that he would be transported back four years and three months. "Not this time…" the brown haired man said with a determined look as he let go of the tape and it flew back into its yellow container.

Almost instantaneously he arrived in what he presumed was the past. Instead of the night he had dparted, it was now a sunny early summer day on the shore of Lake Gravity Falls. He quickly noticed that the shoulder of his long sleeved red flannel shirt was aflame and proceeded to extinguish it. "D-Did it work?" he thought to himself as he began to walk back towards the entrance to Lake Gravity Falls State Park. After a twenty-five minute stroll, the chestnut haired man found himself entering downtown Gravity Falls. "Hmm… I don't know… Everything sort of looks the same…" he once again said to himself as he walked along the well-worn concrete sidewalk of the small town. Spying a copy of the Gravity Falls Gossiper lying abandoned on a table of the local coffee shop, the curious young man walked over and picked it up. ' _New Study Says Most Earthquake Damage Is Caused By Shaking_ ' the headline read as his eyes looked to the date printed on the paper. 'June 3rd, 2016 First Edition' the date read as Dipper realized the device had worked. "Now to find Mabel and keep her from going into that bank…" he thought to himself as he continued to walk towards the Mystery Shack.

The roughly two mile hike felt longer than the brown haired man recalled, but it could have been because he was beginning to show the signs of a hangover. "Note to self: Don't drink before engaging in time travel…" he thought to himself as the familiar wooden structure came into a view. The pink hoodie clad girl locked the door behind her and began to walk down the dusty dirt trail that led to Oregon route 668. About halfway down, Dipper decided to make his presence known and hopefully dissuade her from the ill-fated trip to Northwest National Bank. "Hey… Y-You're Mabel Pines, right?" he asked as he emerged from behind a tree. The chestnut haired girl froze in place for a moment as she was startled by the man's sudden appearance. Much to his surprise, he was met with a swift kick to his groin; a sharp pain soon felt by him as he fell to the ground below. The seventeen year old pulled out a whistle from beneath the hoodie and blew into it with all her might. "HELP!" she shouted as Dipper continued to groan in a heap at her sneaker adorned feet. "Mabel! Mabel! I-" he began before being cut off by his sister. "How do you know my name?! Have you been stalking me or something? Yeah! That's probably it! You're some sort of sicko, you know that! Thought you'd rape me or something, right? Well guess what? Not gonna happen!" she shouted before blowing the whistle once again. "IT'S ME, DIPPER!" he shouted over the annoying sound. "I think I know what my own twin brother looks like!" she proclaimed as she took a better look at the man who she had neutralized. He did sort of look like an older version of her twin brother, but there was only one way to be sure. "I-It's me… I-I swear!" the twenty-one year old said as he sat up and looked the fearful woman in her eyes. "Well… If you really are him, then you'd know something that only I and two other people in this whole town do… What's yo-" she began before he figured out what she was going to ask. "Mason…" he calmly replied as he took his wallet out from his pocket and handed it to Mabel.

' _Mason Alexander Pines. 704 Gopher Road, Gravity Falls Oregon. Issued July 27, 2016. Expires July 27, 2024._ ' his Oregon Driver's License read; confirming his identity for the skeptical teenager. "H-Holy shit! It is you! I have, like, so many questions! Do I have a boyfriend? Do I open my sweater sto-" she began before being cut off by her older twin brother. "Mabel… I-I'm so damn happy to see you!" the taller man said as he stood up and swiftly wrapped the teen girl up in a tight hug; tears freely streaming down his face. "Bro… Everything alright?" the younger woman said as she caught the smell of alcohol on his breath. "Look… All you need to know is that you can't go to the bank today. Just go to the mall with the girls… And make sure Pacifica goes with you… Please…" the brown haired man said with a somewhat desperate tone of voice as he locked eyes with his sister. "Why? Does something bad happen? Oh God, it does, doesn't it?" she asked the older man. He was adorned in a pair of black and white skate shoes, slim straight blue jeans, a black t-shirt and a red and black long sleeved flannel shirt. Mabel thought that aside from smelling like a brewery that her brother was probably doing alright in the future. "Look… I don't wanna say too much, but yes… Something horrible does happen…" he replied, hoping the questions would end there. "Well… You can't just say that and not tell me the details… C'mon… Tell me… I won't tell anyone else, I promise…" she asked her twin from the future. "Well… Alright, but you're not gonna like it…" he said with a sigh as the duo began to walk towards town.

"So… You were going to the bank to deposit your paycheck, just like in my timeline… Only this time, you're not going to go there… You're going to go to the mall, like you guys planned to do afterwards…" he began as seventeen year old Mabel Pines listened with great focus. "So anyways, you and Pacifica went to the bank and it was held up…" the twenty-one year old time traveler continued. "Oh, so I'm like, messed up in the future because of it… Got ya…" the brunette girl said as she thought she had figured it all out. "No… You and Pacifica… Y-You…" he struggled to say as his sister put her hand on his shoulder. "You guys get shot…" he quickly said; opting to pull off the proverbial Band-Aid in as swift a fashion as possible. "Yeah… I could see how that should be avoided… Thanks bro!" she cheerily said, thinking he was done. "Mabel! Let me finish!" he shouted; the seventeen year old girl taken aback by the out of character outburst. "S-Sorry…" she apologized while staring down at her sneaker covered feet. "You guys are shot and killed… I-I lost both of you that day… A-And I'll be damned if it's gonna happen again! I'm so glad that I found Blendin's time travelling tape measurer. Now I can keep this all from happening in the first place!" he said with excitement as Mabel had stopped walking alongside him. "I-I'm dead?" she asked in a trembling voice. Dipper looked over to see the younger teen girl had paused to reflect on the stunning revelation. "Yeah… I-I mean… You used to be… B-But as long as you don't go to the bank today, you won't be! Maybe you can open up that sweater store? Who knows? The future can be whatever you want it to be…" Dipper said enthusiastically.

"I-I have, like, a million questions…" the young woman said in a trembling voice; still unable to process that she was destined to die in short order had it not been for her brother's intervention. "Okay… Well, since nothing is going to be the way it was when I get ba… Oh… Wait… What about? I-I hadn't thought about that…" the brown haired man said to himself as a sudden realization came to him. If he can prevent the deaths of Mabel and his then girlfriend Pacifica, then surely it would alter his future with Wendy, right? While he missed Pacifica and Mabel dearly, he loved the life that he and his wife had built in the ensuing years since the tragedy. Now, all that may never even happen. To say he was torn would be putting it mildly. "Hey! Future bro-bro! You okay?" she asked as she waved her slender hand in front of his face. "Huh! Oh! Yeah… I-I just had thought of something… Let's take a seat over there…" he offered as the taller man pointed to a black metal bench that looked towards Founder's Square. The duo sat down and Dipper was first to speak. "I-I've built this whole life since you guys passed… I have a wife and kids in the future…" he began as Mabel's face lit up. She thought it was cute that her brother had a family of his own. "Who's the lucky girl?" she pondered to herself before speaking up. "So… Who'd my dear brother fall in love with? I mean, is it someone I know?" she inquired. "Yes, quite well in fact…" he replied coyly. "Okay… So I can rule out Pacifica, because she's kinda dead… Oh! I know! I-It's Candy, isn't it?" she excitedly guessed. "Nope… In fact… And this is gonna blow your mind… She's just started dating Grenda in my future…" Dipper replied. A look of pure happiness came across the face of the seventeen year old girl. After a moment of reflection, she was finally able to form a response. "That's awesome! I've always felt there was something between them…" she quipped. "Yeah… And lil' Grendy seems to be alright with it, so the-" he began before being cut off. "Lil' Grendy? T-They have a kid?!" she asked excitedly. "Well… Grenda had a kid before they got together… Something about her hooking up with a few guys and not exactly knowing who the father was… I got the story second hand from my wife, so…" Dipper explained. "Okay… I suck at this game… Who did you end up marrying? Just tell me!" she pleaded with the time traveler. "Wendy. I married Wendy… A-And we have kids… Twin girls in fact…" he chuckled.

"So… You and Wendy have twin girls?! That's awesome! I can't wait to meet them! I'm gonna be the greatest Aunt ever! I'll knit them all sorts of awesome swea-" she began to ramble before her brother interjected. "That's the thing… I-I don't know how things are gonna go since I kinda just saved you and Pacifica… I mean, what if I stay with Pacifica? I-I like my life… I love Wendy… I-I miss you guys… I-I just don't know Mabel… I thought this would be easy…" the brown haired man said as he put his face into his hands and broke down. "Well… All I can say is that you could always do it over again if you don't like your future… Like that time you tried to win Wendy that stuffed animal, but kept hitting her with the ball instead…" she said as the young woman placed a hand on the upper back of her brother and rubbed it in a soothing manner. "I-I guess you're right… There's gotta be a way I can save you guys and still have the future I came from… I know it…" Dipper said as he sniffled. "You guys go to the mall… I'll figure it out…" he said as the pair stood up from the bench. "Thanks Mason… Thank you for saving my life…" Mabel said as she wrapped her brother up in a hug; her hazel eyes filled with tears. Unknown to the siblings was that their meeting had some spectators. Grenda, Candy and Pacifica had met in the park and eagerly awaited the brunette teen's arrival. "Who's that she's with?" asked Pacifica. "I-I don't know, but he looks like an older man…" Grenda said in her deep voice. "Well, whoever he is, he's a total hottie…" Candy chimed in. All three girls nodded in agreement as they spied the pink hoodie clad girl approaching.

"So… Who's ready to go to the mall?!" the brunette inquired as the trio rushed over to her. "I'm, like, totally ready to go… But I have to ask… Who's the guy? Are you seeing him?" Pacifica asked with great interest, as she was a bit of a gossiper. Mabel was immediately grossed out by the question as it was her brother, but she didn't want to reveal that to her friends. She wanted to keep the fact that Dipper had travelled back in time to save her and Pacifica from passing away in a bank heist gone awry to herself. "Nope… Just a friend…" she chuckled. "Well… In that case, I'm gonna need his number…" Candy commented. "He's not gonna be in town the rest of the summer, so don't worry about him… Besides, there are lots of guys and girls in this town to fall in love with…" Mabel said as the quartet of girls started off towards the mall. "Well… Let's see if it worked…" Dipper said as he removed the time travelling tape measurer from his pocket and traveled back to the present day, unsure of what awaited him when he arrived.

 **Author's Note:** So, this was supposed to be a one shot, but I really fell in love with the idea of a drunk and distraught Dipper coming across the time travelling tape measurer and going back to save his sister and Pacifica. What will his new present hold for him? Will he and Wendy still be married? What does the future hold for Mabel and Pacifica? Answers to all this and more in the next installment of Pause The Moment… -iKLOT

 **The Official Shooting Star Falls AU Reading Order:**

Underage Discoveries On A Reckless Night: A Shooting Star Falls Prequel

A Shooting Star Falls

Echoes Of A Nearby Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Scarred Summer: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Dark Days of Candy Chiu: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Forever Memories: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Stable Times Or A Wild Ride?: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Grenda's Confession: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Birthday Weirdness In The Rose City: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Gift Of Forever: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Wendy & Dipper Vs The Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Life In Transit: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Pause The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story


	2. Chapter 2

Pause The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story

A quick blue flash of light tore through the alleyway that Dipper Pines had retreated to and almost instantaneously he found himself back in the same spot. "Did it work?" he asked himself once again as a burning smell began to fill his nostrils. The arm of his red and black flannel shirt was ablaze. "OH SHIT!" Dipper exclaimed as he tried to extinguish it with his hand. A few moments later, he had successfully put out the small fire and walked out to the sidewalk. A bright and sunny day met the young man as he pulled out his smartphone to confirm that he had arrived at the proper place in time. ' _2:04pm June 3_ _rd_ _, 2020 72°'_ the screen displayed. "Damn… What is it about this day anyway? Oh well, close enough" Dipper commented to himself. "There you are honey!" a soft voice called out from just down the sidewalk. The chestnut haired man recognized it immediately as that of Pacifica. Looking up from the phone he took in the sight of the twenty-one year old woman. While still petite, she had grown a bit since he had seen her take her last breath on that fateful day four years prior. She wore a black sleeveless dress, which highlighted her slender frame, although she looked like she was ready to head to a funeral. "Dipper! Why aren't you in your suit?! The ceremony starts in less than an hour!" the blonde heiress exclaimed as she approached him while carrying a bouquet of flowers.

Dipper was confused by her question. "Cer-Ceremony?" he hesitantly asked. "Yeah… Don't tell me you forgot about the dedication ceremony today… I mean, how could _you_ of all people? It starts at three… You should go home and get changed…" Pacifica said in a bit of a bewildered tone of voice. "I-I didn't forget… My mind is just sorta all over the place on a day like today, ya know?" he fibbed, still not quite sure what she was referring to. "Yeah… But still… I need you to be there… We all do…" the young woman said in a soft tone as her sapphire eyes teared up a bit. "Don't you worry… I'll be there… Uh… Not that I totally don't know, because I really do… But just humor me… Where is 'there' again?" he asked hesitantly as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "C'mon Mason, get your head together… Founder's Square…" she replied; a bit annoyed that he was so completely clueless. "Did he hit his head or something? I mean, his shirt is singed… Was he in some sort of accident?" she thought to herself with genuine concern for the man she loved so dearly. "Right! Founder's Square! Three O'clock! I'll be there!" he replied as he pulled the car keys out of his pocket and began to walk away. "Love you too!" she sarcastically shouted, which caused the twenty year old to stop in his tracks. Having been used to hearing Wendy say those words for the past four years, he was thrown off by the blonde woman saying it to him. "I guess I'm still with Pacifica in this timeline…" he concluded as he turned around and hastily made his way back to the dress clad woman. "I'm sorry… I love you!" he said as he leaned in for a kiss. Part of him felt horrible as he kissed a woman other than Wendy; as if he were cheating on his wife and mother of his infant children. Part of the young man, however felt something he thought had long since been extinguished in his soul; his love for Pacifica Elise Northwest. The kiss between the two became red hot as the twenty year old locked lips with the woman who up until a few moments ago had been deceased. Seconds felt like hours as the two became one on the concrete sidewalk. Dipper finally broke the kiss and opened his eyes, half expecting to see that night had fallen. Instead, he observed that Pacifica was in a bit of a daze; her sapphire eyes wide and face sporting a rosy hue. "What the fuck has gotten into him?!" the blonde thought to herself as she regained her composure. Sure they had a loving relationship, but she hadn't been kissed like that in some time by the brown haired man she called her husband. "Wow… That was…" she began before being cut off by the taller man. "Amazing…" Dipper finished. "Seriously… Go get changed… You're gonna be late if you don't leave right now…" she said in a much more playful tone than Dipper had anticipated.

The two parted ways and Dipper walked to his car. "That felt _so_ wrong… But also _so_ damn right… I'm so fucking confused right now… Alright… So where exactly do I live?" he thought aloud to himself as he took his phone out of his pocket and queued his digital assistant. "Give me directions home" he requested. "Ok, here is how to get home" it replied in a soft female voice. Much to his surprise, it displayed the same address he had resided at previously. "Huh… I guess instead of Wendy and me building a house there…" he pondered to himself as he unlocked the door to his Fjord Stallion muscle car. Everything inside the vehicle appeared to be the same until he glanced up at the visor of the vehicle. Before traveling back in time, he had at first placed a picture of Wendy there and after the birth of his twin daughters, a picture of the three. Now, a different picture adorned the black leather feature of his automobile; a photograph of Pacifica, who sported a large smile and was dressed in a seafoam green evening gown. After a short drive, he reached the driveway for the home that he still supposedly lived in. Unlike the gravel that he and Wendy had chosen for the driveway that led to their home, this one was concrete and sported an arch with a wrought iron fence surrounding the property. Driving through the arch, he noticed the well-manicured landscaping that the home sported, which was in stark contrast with the more natural look he and Wendy had gone with. Rounding a final bend, he saw the place he called home. Instead of the modern log cabin he had left, he arrived at a two story structure that looked like it belonged in the suburbs, rather than the deep forest of Central Oregon. Parking his car, he walked to the front door and unlocked it with the same key he had used to do so at the home that he and Wendy had built. Walking inside, the aesthetic of house was markedly different than that of the one he knew. A modern and minimalistic design flowed throughout the house and instead of the many pictures that adorned the walls of his prior home, this one was mostly devoid of them; save for a few large black and white photographs. Walking over to a brushed aluminum framed picture, he took note of how much it looked like it belonged in Northwest Manor. Pacifica stood in a cocktail dress, joined by Dipper in a suit and tie while they stood in the Great Hall of the aforementioned mansion. Continuing his walk, he spied another picture, this one a bit more casual. Pacifica was adorned in a plaid shirt and khaki shorts, while Dipper wore a t-shirt and jeans. It appeared that they were at the summit of a mountain; sporting a pair of large smiles and a look of self-satisfaction of their accomplishment.

Figuring the bedroom was upstairs, he ascended the staircase and soon found himself walking down a hallway. Much to his surprise, the upper floor of the home was laid out almost identically to the one he had shared with Wendy. The master bedroom was a bit larger and featured a humongous walk in closet. He meandered over to a dresser on what he presumed was Pacifica's side of the room; picking up a picture frame that decorated it. The words ' _Mr. & Mrs._' was written in cursive on the top left of the frame and sure enough, a photo of Dipper and Pacifica in their wedding day best resided inside of it. "Huh… So I guess we ended up getting married… I wonder what Wendy ended up doing? Maybe she's made a life of her own… I mean, she is a pretty amazing woman… I doubt she's still single…" the young man pondered to himself. A small note book lay haphazardly on the wooden dresser and giving into his curiosity, he opened it up. What he found inside was absolutely heartbreaking. A calendar was stapled to the inside cover and a few days of every month were highlighted; bright red 'X's' adorning all of them. Page after page of the journal documented the couple's fruitless efforts to conceive a child over the better part of a year and a half. ' _June 1_ _st_ _, 2020: It seems hopeless at this point. It's clear after the doctor appointments that it's my fault we can't conceive. I don't know why I've been cursed like this. Perhaps it's just deserts for all the ill deeds my family has committed over the years. I appreciate Mason's efforts and understanding nature, but I feel like a complete and utter failure. I mean, what kind of wife can I be if I can't even bare children? I know he's just as frustrated as I am, even if he doesn't show it. I fear I'm losing him. While I know he'd never cheat on me, I wouldn't blame him if he did. I would. I love him so much. I don't want to lose him over it. Maybe I can ask Grenda again if I can adopt Grenda II from her. I mean, sure she didn't talk to me for a few weeks last time I asked, but maybe she will come around this time. If only 'you know who' was here. I bet she'd agree to be a surrogate. After all, they always did have a thing for each other. If only it were that easy. Well, I guess all we can do is keep trying. Until next time with hopefully better news, Pacifica Elise Northwest-Pines_ ' the most recent journal entry read. He placed it down on the dresser and let out a sigh as he felt for the blonde woman he would now call his wife. Finding his suit sprawled out on the large bed, the twenty year old man quickly changed and was soon on his way back to downtown Gravity Falls, where hopefully more of his questions would be answered.

Parking the car, he glanced down at his phone. ' _2:57pm_ ' the display read as he hastily made his way over to the grass square, where a large wooden stage had been constructed. At the center of it was a podium, and slightly to the left was something covered up by a massive back sheet. "I wonder what all this is about?" he pondered as he spied his wife near the steps that led to the stage. "I told you I'd be here…" he said with a bit of a smug tone. "Once again, the infamous Dipper Pines proves me wrong…" the blonde said with a chuckle as she extended her slender hand to the twenty year old man and the couple walked up onto the stage. About six chairs sat on the wooden planked structure as the two took their assigned seats on the right side of the podium. Four seats remained empty in front of the sheet covered object and Dipper couldn't help but wonder who or what they were for. He observed the townsfolk beginning to take their places in front of the stage and soon enough, caught sight of Mabel, Grenda, Grendy and Candy. Like the rest of the crowd, they were adorned in dark clothing, which drew the curiosity of the young man once more. "Just what is this all about? Everyone seems to be in a muted mood, like somebody died or something…" he thought to himself as he wracked his mind to figure out what the ceremony was for. He figured that he'd just have to wait and find out the old fashioned way. A sharply dressed woman with an earpiece walked up to Pacifica and whispered into her ear before quickly retreating off the stage. The blonde let out a sigh and looked over at her husband. "Well… Here we go…" she in an unsure voice as she rose from the chair and walked to behind the podium.

"Citizens of Gravity Falls... I would like to thank you all for coming out today for this important dedication. As we know, four years ago a deeply disturbed man attempted to hold up the Northwest National Bank. He held just under forty innocent citizens against their will for nearly an hour; many of those people here in attendance today with us" she began. "Oh… So the robbery still happened…" Dipper thought to himself as the blonde continued. "It was clear that swift action needed to be taken in order to save the lives of those held hostage. Thanks to the brave and selfless action of one person, a tragedy of unspeakable magnitude was averted. That day was not without loss, however. Officer Gwendolyn 'Wendy' Blerble Corduroy was killed in the line of duty that afternoon four years ago today" she continued her speech as Dipper nearly passed out from pure shock. The love of his life, the mother of his children was killed in this timeline. While he had managed to save the life of his twin sister and his girlfriend, he had lost his best friend. His soulmate. While he pondered what to do, his wife continued her speech. "Her life was cut short by the hateful actions of a truly deranged individual. There was no need for this senseless violence. No need for Officer Corduroy to lose her life that day. No need for her father to lose his only daughter that day or for her brothers to lose their big sister that day. O-Or for me and many others to lose a great friend that day… Wendy was many things, but as a friend, I'll always remember her kind soul. She always put others before herself. She truly lived life to the fullest and still had many great years ahead of her both as an Officer and as a person. That is why we are here today. To ensure that the sacrifice that Officer Corduroy gave will never be forgotten. For all of us, please remember this quote from the National Fallen Officer Memorial in Washington, D.C. 'It is not how this Officer died that made her a hero, but how she lived" the blonde woman said before pausing. She glanced over at her husband before starting the next part of her speech.

"At this time, I'd like to invite Dan, Mark, Jonas and Clyde Corduroy to the stage" Pacifica said as she looked down at the quartet of men seated in the front row. Slowly, they rose from their chairs and made their way onto the stage. "Today, we dedicate this statue of Officer Corduroy and honor the ultimate price that she paid so that others could be here" the black dress clad woman said as she walked over to Manly Dan and the Corduroy boys. "If you could each grab a bit of the sheet and pull when I give the signal…" she said to them before walking to the left side of the statue. Soon joined by the red haired family members, all five pulled down the sheet to reveal a life-sized statue of the five and a half foot tall officer. Dipper was taken aback by the level of detail in the statue. From her half untucked uniform shirt, to her loosened up tie and her messy ponytail, it was all there. An easy smile adorned the freckled face of the statue, almost as if it was her reaction to the rousing round of applause the reveal had garnered. Manly Dan wrapped Pacifica up in a tight hug; soon followed by the three surviving Corduroy children. "As nice as this is… I have to go back and fix this…" Dipper thought to himself as he wiped the tears from his eyes. Manly Dan walked up to the podium, which looked comically small in comparison to the burly outdoorsman. "Uh… Thank you. I'd like to thank all of you for coming out today… I'd first and foremost like to thank Mayor Northwest-Pines for spearheading the effort for this memorial to my daughter. I have to say, I'm impressed. I honestly expected the statue to start talking to me. It's more than I could have ever hoped for and I want to thank everyone who was involved in making this a reality. While I still feel the pain of losing my only daughter each and every day, I take solace in the fact that her last act was one of pure selflessness. She sacrificed herself so that over three dozen others could live. If that doesn't tell you what kind of woman she was, then nothing will. I love you Wendy… I hope that wherever you are, you like this…" the red haired man said as he wiped the tears from his eyes and stepped away from the podium.

"Mayor?! Pacifica's the Mayor? What else changed because of what I did?" the brown haired man thought to himself as he watched Pacifica take the stage once again. "This concludes our ceremony for today. I'd like to remind you that the statue will be installed on its base in the coming days, so the park will be closed until that work is done. Now, if we can end this by having a moment of silence for Wendy" she informed the crowd before bowing her head and closing her eyes. A few moments later, she spoke again. "Thank You… And once again, thank you Officer Corduroy for paying the ultimate sacrifice for the town you loved so dearly. We will never forget" the black dress clad woman said as she stepped away from the podium. Dipper stood up from his seat and wrapped the blonde heiress up in a tight hug as tears streamed down her face. "That was beautiful…" Dipper commented as Pacifica buried her face into his shoulder and let her emotions flow freely. "I-I feel so damn guilty Dip… I-I mean… After what Mabel told me…" she sobbed. "Wait… What exactly did Mabel tell you?!" Dipper asked as he loosened his embrace and pulled away from the upset woman.

 **Author's Note:** A long chapter, I know. I had a lot of great ideas that popped into my head and wanted to get them out before I forgot them. The feedback I've gotten from this story has been great. Some of you love it, some of you not so much. I get that and hope that you all keep reading. This will all tie together in the end and I think you'll really enjoy the conclusion to this story and how the other stories in the Shooting Star Falls AU tie into it. Will Dipper accept this timeline, or will he go back to June 3rd 2016 and try to make things right? If he is successful, what life awaits him when he returns? And just how does Mabel figure into all of this? Answers to all this and more in the next installment of Pause The Moment. Until then… -iKLOT

 **The Official Shooting Star Falls AU Reading Order:**

Underage Discoveries On A Reckless Night: A Shooting Star Falls Prequel

A Shooting Star Falls

Echoes Of A Nearby Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Scarred Summer: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Dark Days of Candy Chiu: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Forever Memories: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Stable Times Or A Wild Ride?: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Grenda's Confession: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Birthday Weirdness In The Rose City: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Gift Of Forever: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Wendy & Dipper Vs The Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Life In Transit: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Pause The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story


	3. Chapter 3

Pause The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story

"What exactly did Mabel tell you?!" Dipper exclaimed as he let go of the blonde woman and locked eyes with her. "Well… It all started the day that you two got back into town. Candy, Grenda and I saw her talking to this really attractive older guy… A-And… HOLYSHITITWASYOU! It was you we saw her talking to, wasn't it?!" the twenty-one year old said as a sudden realization came over her. She had managed wrestle out of Mabel that they had been spared their lives that fateful summer afternoon because of a warning not to go to the bank, but she never did find out who had prevented it from happening. The Mayor of Gravity Falls was now pretty sure that Dipper, a Dipper from a much more tragic future, had traveled back in time and delivered the haunting message to the brunette teen. "Yeah… I-I was pretty drunk… A-And sad… And then the most wonderful thing happened! I found this time traveling device and decided to go back and stop it all from happening… I-I'm so damn happy to see you again… To see Mabel again too…" he explained to the awestruck blonde. All that Pacifica had known up to that point was that their lives had been spared by a messenger from the future, but even trying as hard as she could, the heiress couldn't wrestle the identity of the informant from her best friend.

"You're not happy though… I-I can tell…" Pacifca said as she offered a seat to her husband of just over two years. "I'm thrilled to see you guys… To see you still alive and happy… I-It's just that I had this whole other life… A-And I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss it…" the chestnut haired man said with a sigh as he took the young woman's offer and sat down on the metal folding chair. "Well… What kind of life did you have?" asked Pacifica in an earnest tone. While she had always had the love of her life in this world, it was clear that he had experienced a whole other existance. She was afraid of what the young man may have to say, but wanted insight into just what the world would be like if she had perished that fateful summer afternoon like the universe seemingly had intended. "Well… Wendy got shot, just like in this timeline… Only, she survived… She and I were in total shock, especially me, seeing as I was with you when you guys took your final breaths…" Dipper said as his eyes welled up with tears; the twenty year old experiencing the feelings he had long ago buried deep inside himself. "Whoa… That's pretty heavy…" Pacifica said as she gently rubbed the upper back of her lover; silently urging him to continue. "Yeah… So anyways, Wendy and I both spiraled into horrible bouts of depression. The night you guys died, she decided to end her life… S-She was going to take her gun and end it all. She pulled the trigger… B-But nothing happened. She told me a while later that it was the ghosts of you and Mabel who saved her. A few weeks passed and we had just been holed up in our rooms. Apparently Wendy tried to drown herself in alcohol to try and numb the pain… For me it was sleep... I figured that if I never was awake, then I'd never have to face the reality of a world without you two in it. We met in downtown and one thing led to another… A-And, well, we fell for each other… I guess we just needed someone to be miserable with together…" Dipper continued as he paused again to gather himself.

Pacifica was awestruck by the tales that the young man told her over the course of the next hour. From the revelation that Wendy had tried to kill herself yet again, to their adventures in the time since, their marriage and finally the birth of their twin girls, Pacifica was spellbound by the life the man she had known so well lived. "AHH!" Dipper shouted as he clutched his head; Pacifica snapping out of the thoughts that had consumed her mind. What she saw as she glanced over to the twenty year old man horrified her. Streams of crimson blood streamed from his nose, ears and mouth as he fell in a heap to the wooden deck below. "OH MY GOD! MASON!" the blonde Mayor shouted as she fell to her knees and held the head of her husband. "HELP! HELP!" she shouted; hoping that someone would rush to the stricken man's aid. "Mayor Northwest-Pines!" a deep voice shouted as it approached the stage. It was Chief Blubs of the Gravity Falls Police Department, who was helping to clean up the park. "I-I don't know what happened! We were just talking… A-And then…" she struggled to say as tears cascaded from her sapphire eyes and dotted the dry planks of wood below. "Ugh…" the suit adorned man groaned as his eyes fluttered open and a pained expression formed on his face. "OH MY GOD! Y-YOU'RE ALRIGHT!" Pacifica said with great relief as a smile formed on her face. "You should get him to a hospital, Pacifica… I mean, I'm no doctor or anything, but I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to be bleeding from every orifice in your head…" Blubs suggested. "Y-Yeah… We'll head straight there…" Pacifica replied as she stood up and helped her husband onto the black metal chair behind him. "What happened?" the blonde asked with concern as she walked over to a cooler and removed a plastic water bottle from it. "I-I'm not sure… The last thing I remember is talking to you about something, and then my head just started pounding" he explained before taking a drink of the ice cold water. "Yeah… We were talking about the past… About how you and Wendy met… Your daughters…" the black dress clad woman reminded him; a puzzled look forming on his face. "What in the world are you talking about, honey? Wendy died four years ago… And I certainly don't have daughters… I mean, it'd be nice and all… But you know it probably won't happen…" Dipper replied; the last comment stinging the blonde woman as she was once again reminded of her fertility issues.

The pair sat in silence for a few minutes while both tried to process what had happened. For Dipper, it was the fact that while what she said sounded vaguely familiar, it was more like a fleeting dream he had once experienced. Pacifica, meanwhile, wondered how the twenty year old man had gone from being able to describe his life in an alternate timeline in such detail, to having no clue what she was talking about. "You're telling me that you have no idea what we just talked about for over an hour?" a bewildered and befuddled Pacifica inquired; still not convinced that her husband suddenly had no recollection of the timeline he had left. "Nah… I mean, I know we talked and all… But I couldn't tell you what it was about… All I know is I got that killer headache and now I feel a ton better" the chestnut haired man replied. "Something isn't right here… But who would know about this stuff?" the young woman pondered to herself. Pulling out her pink cellphone, she went to her contact list and scrolled to her favorites. An image of a beaming brunette woman greeted her and she tapped the display. A moment later, she was speaking to her sister-in-law. "Hey, Mabes… C-Can Mason and I come over? I've got something to ask you…" she said into the device. 'Yeah! That would be great! I'll see you two in a little bit!" the young woman said as she ended the call. "Dipper, honey, we're gonna go visit your sister… A-And try to make sense of all of this…" Pacifica said as she stood up and offered her glove clad hand to the man she called her husband.

Walking hand in hand down the well-worn concrete sidewalk that ran along Corduroy Boulevard, the duo soon arrived at Mabel's apartment. Something about the place reminded him of Wendy, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Opening the door to the vestibule, Dipper and Pacifica began the climb up the steep and narrow staircase that led to the second story apartment of Mabel Pines. A black gloved fist knocked on the wooden door and soon enough, the bubbly Mabel Pines answered the door. The young woman was dressed in a pair of black tights, an aqua skirt, a navy blue sweater which hung off her slender shoulder and revealed a black tank top underneath and an aqua headband. "Good to see you again sis" the young man said as he wrapped her up in a hug. "Good to see you too bro-bro…" she replied. Dipper walked inside the apartment and looked around for a moment even though he had been inside the home many times. Once again, a sharp pain was felt inside his head and a small stream of blood began to flow from his nose and he began to lose his balance. "OH MY GOD! DIP!" Mabel shouted as both girls wrapped an arm around their necks and carried him over to a black and white cow spot patterned couch. "Oh Fuck! Oh Fuck! S-Should we call an ambulance?!" Mabel asked; fear dripping from her voice as she paced back and forth on the hardwood floor. She had seen her twin brother get hurt plenty of times before, but this was different. She had a feeling it was much more serious than it looked. "H-He did this before… Only it was also coming out of his ears and mouth…" Pacifica explained to the frantic twin sister of her husband. "AND YOU DIDN'T TAKE HIM TO THE GODDAMN HOSPITAL! WHAT IF HE'S HAVING A FUCKING STROKE OR SOMETHING?" Mabel exploded with anger. She loved her sister-in-law with all of her heart and considered her among her best friends, but found herself occasionally cross with the blonde woman. "I-I don't think it's anything like that…" Pacifica said as she nervously looked down at the ground. "Pacifica! You're not a doctor! How do you know for sure?!" Mabel continued to chastise the young woman as she pulled her cellphone out from her pocket. "Because when it happened, he was telling me about another timeline that he had come from! H-He's the same Dipper that warned you the day of the robbery!" Pacifica explained. A look of confusion came over the face of the brunette woman as she placed the phone down on a table. Mabel had never revealed to her best friend that she had been warned to stay away from the bank by anyone at all, let alone her brother from four years in the future; a future in which she and Pacifica had been killed.

"H-How did you know it was him?! I never told you… I never told anyone…" Mabel asked with confusion. "Because Dipper told me a little while ago…" the heiress explained. Still not fully convinced that she knew and had merely guessed correctly, the brunette decided to test her. "So… If he really did tell you he was from the future, then what happened in his timeline? And don't leave out any details…" Mabel said as the girls took a seat beside Dipper, who now appeared to have recovered from his most recent episode. Pacifica recalled what her husband had told her while Mabel listened intently. "A-And he said that Wendy had twin daughters…" she concluded. "Okay… So… We have to figure out why he could tell you this in that level of detail a little while ago, but now can't seem to remember it ever happening. "I'm telling you guys… It just seems like it was some weird dream. I mean, I remember Wendy's funeral… I remember our wedding, Pacifica. I remember Mabel struggling to deal with it…" he said as a look of shame came over the brunette's face.

In the aftermath of losing Wendy, Mabel had felt an incredible amount of guilt. She turned to partying in order to try and numb that nagging voice in her head that insisted she was responsible for the ginger woman's death. It had started off with drinking to excess, but quickly escalated to much more dangerous substances. Mabel had developed an addiction to cocaine and her once perfect life began to unravel like a poorly constructed sweater. Pacifica even had been roped into trying the powdery narcotic, as Mabel had convinced her that tons of rich and famous women did it. At first, the duo really liked the feeling the drug gave them. It made them feel happy and helped them to forget their troubles. Pacifica, however, had heard about the negative side effects and after experiencing her first crash, decided to give it up; urging her best friend to do the same. Instead, Mabel doubled down and began to do it on a daily basis. Friends and family began to notice her sudden and dramatic weight loss, along with a loss of glow in her completion and a complete change in her temperament. The situation came to a head that winter when she had been trapped in the Mystery Shack while a blizzard raged outside. The young woman crashed hard and was desperate to get her fix. Out of her right mind, Mabel walked out into the unrelenting storm, dressed in nothing more than a pair of jeans and a familiar green flannel shirt she had been gifted by Jonas Corduroy following his sister's death. She was eventually found passed out in the drifting snow halfway between the Mystery Shack and downtown Gravity Falls. After coming to in the hospital and seeing the looks of fear on the faces of her friends and family, Mabel decided to get the help she needed.

The young woman had been clean for about three years and hated to be reminded of the fact that she had hit such a low point in her life."Mabel… You okay?" Pacifica asked as the brunette snapped back to reality. "Yeah… Just trying to think of who could help us with this…" she fibbed. "What about your Grunkle Ford?" the blonde Mayor inquired. "He's out on a quest with Stan to eradicate any trace of Bill left on this planet… We could try contacting him, but it may be some time before can return to Gravity Falls… I get the feeling we don't have that kind of time" Mabel informed the married couple. "What about McGucket?" Dipper chimed in. "Oh yeah! Fiddleford might be able to help! He's really smart!" Mabel cheerily said as she shot up from the couch. "Yeah! I mean, he may be a hillbilly and all, but right now he's our best hope of finding out what's going on with Dipper" Pacifica added. "C'mon! We'll take my car!" Mabel said as she stood up from the sofa and walked towards the front door. "Can we swing by our place first? I just wanna change into something a little more comfortable…" the blonde woman suggested. "Yeah… I mean, you guys are over there looking like a couple secret agents, and here I am feeling severely underdressed…" the brunette said with a chuckle as the trio exited the apartment. Mabel's purple 2008 Noics Bx sat in the alleyway adjacent to the building. Dipper remembered the day that the young woman had bought the boxy looking subcompact vehicle from Bud Gleeful and how happy she was to have a set of wheels. A decal adorned both front doors of the boxy automobile. ' _Sweaters By Mabel_ ' the sticker read, along with her company's logo and its phone number. Although the car was now nearly old enough to attend high school, it was still in remarkable shape. Backing out of the driveway, they were on their way to see Old Man McGucket and hopefully get an answer to all the questions the group of twentysomethings had about Dipper's condition.

 **Author's Note:** This chapter was a little shorter than I would have liked, but I have not had free time as of late, as any holiday seems to greatly reduce my free time. I tried to delve into what life had been like in this timeline and how everyone dealt with the loss of Wendy. Mabel's drug issues are actually inspired by a girl I knew growing up who got hooked on cocaine. She had a real promising future as an actress and had even been in national television commercials and had bit parts on Broadway. But, for a while she was more about her addiction than that and it cost her any kind of future in show buisness. Like Mabel, she hit rock bottom and found the help she needed. Back to the story, this chapter was also to kind of show Dipper and Pacifica's relationship in what I'm calling 'Timeline W'. I promise this won't go all over the place, but events from 'Timeline W' will have an effect on the next major story that I'm writing about MJ & PJ in the future. Yes, MJ & PJ are going to still exist, as will all of the Shooting Star Falls AU. Those stories you've read about Wendy and Dipper are the dominant AU and this is simply a field trip into a 'what if'. I'm not going to get into detail with every character from the Shooting Star Falls AU, so if you're curious about anyone like the Fearsome Foursome, Alexa, Nate, Tambry or any others, PM me and I'll be glad to fill you in with what my head canon is for them in 'Timeline W'. I hope you enjoyed and until next time - iKLOT

 **The Official Shooting Star Falls AU Reading Order:**

Underage Discoveries On A Reckless Night: A Shooting Star Falls Prequel

A Shooting Star Falls

Echoes Of A Nearby Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Scarred Summer: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Dark Days of Candy Chiu: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Forever Memories: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Stable Times Or A Wild Ride?: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Grenda's Confession: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Birthday Weirdness In The Rose City: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Gift Of Forever: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Wendy & Dipper Vs The Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Life In Transit: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Pause The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story


	4. Chapter 4

**Pause The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **Part Four  
**

The trio arrived at Dipper and Pacifica's house, where the married couple quickly changed into less formal attire. Dipper chose an simple outfit of slim fit jeans and a maroon t-shirt; Pacifica deciding to wear a pair of black skinny jeans, a white camisole and a pink flannel patterned button down shirt. A short drive later, the trio of twentysomethings arrived at the log cabin home of Fiddleford McGucket. "I-I thought McGucket lived in Northwest Manor… " Dipper commented in a confused tone as he gazed upon the much more modest structure. "He did… But after you gave Daddy that financial advice, we were able to buy it back. That was about three years ago…" Pacifica informed him. "Financial advice?!" the chestnut haired man once again inquired; thoroughly confused as he had next to no knowledge of the field. "Yeah… You wanted his approval after he turned down your request for my hand in marriage a few times. We should have just eloped, but you were headstrong on proving your point and going about things the proper way. You wanted to leave no doubt that you were the right man for me. Knowing that regaining his fortune meant more than practically anything else in the world to him, you advised Dad that he should invest in a cryptocurrency called BiteCoyn, as it was set to take off and that for a small investment, he could get in on the ground floor. He asked why he should trust you. Knowing my father couldn't turn down a high stakes wager, you played him like a damn fiddle. If you were right, he'd give his blessing to our engagement and wedding. If you were wrong, however, you would have to end our relationship and cease all contact with me and my family. Of course, I didn't know about all this, or I would have broken up with you right then and there… I mean, who does that? I'm not some prize to be won or lost in a bet. To be honest, I'm still a little pissed off about the whole thing… But at the same time, I _was_ impressed that you were cunning enough to trick my father into doing exactly what you wanted him to do… And also confident enough to risk our future together…" Pacifica informed the young man as smitten smile formed on her face and her cheeks took on a more rosy hue. A shocked look formed on his face as he realized how deep his love for the blonde woman ran.

Dipper, Mabel and Pacifica were about to knock on the front door when once again a splitting headache struck the hazel eyed man and a small trickle of blood streamed out of his nasal cavity. "You okay Mason?" asked a concerned Mabel as she rushed over to see if she could help her twin brother, who braced himself on the roof support of the deck. "I-I don't know if I can take much more of this…" the young man groaned as his eyes watered from the searing pain. Inside the one story home, Old Man McGucket heard a ruckus on his front porch as he worked on yet another one of his infamous contraptions. Grabbing a wooden baseball bat, he made his way to the front door, hoping his raccoon wife hadn't returned to finish him off. "Ahh!" the white bearded old man hollered as he yanked open the door; the trio replying with screams of their own. "Oh! It's just you!" McGucket said with a chuckle as he dropped the bat. "What brings you youngin's 'round these here parts?" he inquired while adjusting his green tinted glasses. "Well, Mr. McGucket, Dipper here seems to have an issue with his memory and you seemed like just the person to help us out with it…" Mabel said as she looked down at the much shorter man. "Well, come in! Come in!" he invited the trio. Pacifica was certain that they were about to enter a hovel and braced herself for what she might encounter. Much to her pleasant surprise, the home appeared to be in pretty good order. Dipper was impressed as well, as the old man's previous residence had been a shack in the Gravity Falls Auto Salvage Yard; the new home sitting in front of it instead.

"So what seems to be the trouble?" the white haired man asked as he hung up his hat on a hook and took a seat at a round wooden table. "So… I found a time traveling device…" he began. "You should be careful with it… Even the smallest change can drastically alter the future in ways you may not even be able to fathom…" the older man said in somewhat stern tone. "Well… That's _sorta_ the thing… I _kinda_ already traveled to the past… T-To prevent these two from being killed in a bank heist that went wrong… Or at least that's what I'm told. I-I'm not too sure… I can't really recall my original timeline… It's getting harder and harder to remember… But at the same time, I'm remembering more and more about what has happened in this one" he explained as the old man listened intently. He had discussed time travel at length with his colleague Stanford and the two had many an argument about it. "Do you have the device on you?" Fiddleford asked in an excited voice. "Yeah… I-It's right here…" the young man said nonchalantly as he removed the square yellow tape measurer from his pocket and handed it to him. "Amazing… Simply amazing…" the elderly man said to himself as he closely examined it. Not wanting to accidently trigger it, he took care in not pressing anything that looked like it could be a button. He placed it on the table and looked across at the trio of young guests. "I-I know what's going on with yer noggin…" he said before taking a sip out of a white ceramic mug. "And what would that be?" Dipper asked as he desperately waited for a response. "Let me get somethin' so I can show it to ya'… A visual aid if ya' will…" he said before getting up from the table and walking into another room. "I hope he can explain all this… I-I just wanna know what's going on with me…" Dipper said as he grasped the hand of his wife. "Yeah… I just want the old Mason back… I want my husband back…" Pacifica said as her sapphire eyes began to fill with tears. "Yeah… And I want my brother back…" Mabel agreed.

A few moments later, McGucket returned with a large dry erase board and a few markers. "So… This… This is our timeline…" he began as he drew a long straight line with a blue marker and pointed to it. "This is called branch theory and it's the commonly accepted belief of how time works. You see, the traditional view of time is that it's linear; that time is like a river, flowing from the past to the future" he began to explain. "But you can change the course of a river, right?" asked Mabel. "Exactly! Introduce a significantly big enough event into any point in this river and you create a new branch. It still is flowing towards the future, but along a different route…" he continued as he drew a red 'X' on the board and drew a line skewing away from it. "Changed" he concluded as Pacifica got up from her seat and walked over to the board. "Yeah, but that river is the Mississippi and what he did was essentially lob a pebble into it… I mean, how much difference could our being alive right now really make? At best, it creates a few ripples in an extremely large body of water…" Pacifica said as she suddenly realized that she may very well be fighting for her life. "So… He created this new branch… What happens to the old one?" Mabel chimed in. "Well, it might continue parallel to the new branch… But that would mean that every time that anyone has made any kind of choice, there would have to have been a new timeline created just for it… And that would just put way too much stress on the time-space continuum… So most likely, it just ceases to exist…" McGucket said as he scribbled through the rest of the original timeline. "So the idea is that we cease to exist… We end up dying on that day instead of Wendy… And none of us would remember anything ever happening after that moment… I-Is that right?" Pacifica asked in a desperate voice as an existential fear gripped her; the sapphire eyes of the young woman filling with tears. "Correct… Unfortunately, in order for everything to return to the way that they were for Dipper, things would need to go exactly as they had the first time… Otherwise the river known as time would branch off yet again…" the white bearded man said.

Silence filled the room as Dipper came to a realization. He had to travel back in time and prevent himself from changing history. "So… I go back in time and just stop myself from talking to Mabel… Then… Things happen the way they're supposed to and I get to go back to my wife and kids…" he asked. For Pacifica, it was still odd to hear her husband talk about going back to his wife. She _was_ his wife. "Yes, that would be correct… Then you would travel back to the present day, but just before you found this thing and destroy it… Then you will have no idea that any of this has ever even happened… The guilt of knowing you had to sacrifice these two to restore your timeline wouldn't exist… Or at least it shouldn't…" Fiddleford said as he placed a hand on the much taller man's shoulder. Could he really do this? Could he go back in time and prevent himself from sparing his girlfriend and his sister's lives so that he could return to the reality he longed for. What if he went back and stopped the whole event from taking place? Sure, he and Wendy may not be a couple, but at least they would all be alive. He decided to try and see if he could be happy with a life like that. At worst, he figured that he could just travel back in time yet again and make things right.

Dipper took one final look at the twenty-one year old Pacifica Northwest-Pines and his twenty year old twin sister, just in case things went awry and he were to lose them once again. "Welp… Let's see if this works… If I don't see you again… I love you…" the chestnut haired man said. "I love you too Dipper… Here or in any other timeline… Whether or not I'm alive… You've always made me happy and that is all I could ever hope for in this world" Pacifica chimed in as her sapphire eyes filled with tears. "You'll always be my brother and I'll always love you… No matter wherever or whenever that may be…" Mabel said as she embraced her twin brother. Dipper enjoyed the hug, as he had not felt one from her in several years and wished it could last forever. He extended the tape out so that he could travel four years into the past. Letting go, it shot back into the yellow plastic case and a brilliant blue light filled the room; Dipper Pines once again on a quest to right the injustice of the past.

Almost instantaneously, he found himself just outside of the Gravity Falls Auto Salvage Yard; the lands clear of any structure. "Well… So far, so good…" Dipper said to himself as he began the short walk to downtown. _'June 3_ _rd_ _, 2016 1:47pm_ ' the display on his phone read; more than enough time to prevent Wendy, Mabel and Pacifica from being caught up in the melee that was destined to take place. "How do I keep her away?" the young man thought to himself as he looked down at the device. Unknown to him, another pedestrian approached and the two were on a collision course. The duo ran into each other and tumbled to the unforgiving concrete below. The sound of a metal object hitting the sidewalk was heard and both men's attention turned to the source of it. Dipper spied an onyx colored handgun and suddenly a memory came rushing back to him. "No way! Is that the gun that Robbie is going to hold up the bank with? The gun that's going to kill Mabel and Pacifica?... Or Wendy?... Ugh… I'm so damn confused…" he thought to himself as a deep monotone voice called over to him. "Watch where the fuck you're going asshole!" it berated him. Dipper's thoughts of who he had collided with were confirmed as he glanced up and saw the face of none other than Robbie Valentino. "Oh, it's you… I should just waste you right now…" he said in an angry tone as he recovered the firearm. "W-Why do you have a gun?!" Dipper asked in an alarmed tone; deciding to play coy despite knowing what his intentions were. "None of your business, Dipshit!" the moody man remarked.

"Robbie… Look… I know what you're planning to do…" Dipper said with a sigh as he dropped the act. "Oh yeah! What are you, some sort of Nostradamus or something? Go ahead kid, humor me…" he scoffed as he awaited the younger man's reply. "You're going to hold up the bank… You need money to run away or something…" the chestnut haired man said in a flat tone. "H-How did you know that?!" the usually reserved man said with shock. "It's not going to end well… You're going to get caught… A-And you're going to end up killing some innocent people…" the time traveling man informed him in an ice cold tone of voice; emotion devoid from the statement. "Look… I am going to rob the bank… And you better not tell anyone! I-I'm not going to hurt anybody though… I'm not a monster… I-I just need to get away… Away from here…" Robbie said as he sniffled a bit. "I'm sure that wasn't your intent… But you're going to end up killing someone if you go through with this… A-And you're not going to make it out alive yourself… Trust me… I've already seen it happen…" Dipper said as he took the time traveling tape measurer from his pocket. "A tape measurer… Oh… What are you going to do? Tell me how long something is? _HaHaHa!_ " he chuckled as a determined look came over the twenty-one year old's face. Dipper stood up and waited for Robbie to finish laughing. "No… This is a time traveling device… I came from a future where you killed my sister… A-And my girlfriend… A-And Wendy… It was an accident, but you still killed them…" he replied as they both rose from the concrete sidewalk; Robbie stashing his handgun in the pocket of his plain black hoodie.

Dipper wasn't sure of what he had just told the raven haired man, as his memories of the fateful day had faded in his mind; replaced by the future he now had with Pacifica Northwest. "NO! I could never kill Wendy! I-I love her…" the twentysomething man said with a sniffle as he contemplated a world in which the redhead he felt so deeply for was deceased; by his hand nonetheless. "Look… This is your chance… Just walk away… _It doesn't need to happen_ …" Dipper pleaded with the older man; hoping that he would agree with the argument he made. "A-And what? I-I wanna get out of this shit town and just make it big… Then she'll fall for me… She'll have to…" Robbie said in a confident tone of voice. "Well, you can't make it big if you're locked up… Or even worse, dead, can you?" Dipper replied. "Nah… But I dunno man… Like, how do I get the money to get started?" the black hoodie clad man asked. "Dude, try asking your parents… I mean, they seem like they're supportive of you… Maybe it won't be enough to go to Seattle… Or even Portland for that matter… But if you work hard enough, you might just be able to do it on your own…" Dipper encouraged the skeptical man. "You know what? That might just be a good idea… But, I have to ask… Why would you want to help me out? I've treated you like shit for years and I know you like Wendy… You always have… I'm doing this to try and win her over… What could you possibly have to gain if I'm successful?" the desperate man inquired. "I've lost my memory of what exactly happened when I lost Mabel and Pacifica, but I do know that Wendy took it really rough… Like, she tried to kill herself a couple of times because she felt such an immense guilt from it… And then I was able to save Mabel and Pacifica, only to find out that Wendy was the one to die today… I-I just want everyone alive… I want Wendy to be happy… Whether that's with me, with you, or someone else entirely… I just want her to be alive and happy… And you should want that too… But, I'm not telling you how to live your life…" Dipper said as he walked away. "Dipper! Wait!" Robbie hollered as the brown haired man turned around. "Thanks… You're a pretty smart guy… Maybe I should listen to you more often…" the black haired man said as he threw his ski mask and gun into a large green dumpster that resided in the alleyway adjacent to the bank building.

Twenty-one year old Dipper Pines had one more future to visit; a future where Robbie, Wendy, Mabel and Pacifica had all hopefully managed to escape the day unscathed. He wasn't quite sure of what this new future held for him and the ones he loved, but he figured that anything had to be better than what the previous two had managed to give them. Still, a nagging thought couldn't escape his mind. While he could only vaguely recall them, memories of the life he lived with Wendy were still present. He longed for the world in which despite so much pain and loss, had held so much promise. "Well… Let's see what's behind door number three…" he said with a sigh as he pressed the forward button on the yellow plastic case of the device and pulled out the tape. He was unsure of what would transpire in the four years he would be skipping, but was optimistic that he would arrive in a time where he could see all of his loved ones once again. A blue light filled the sky and once again Mason Pines was off to an uncertain future in Gravity Falls, Oregon.

 **Author's Note:** So, I had this whole chapter written and ready to be posted when I decided I didn't like the way I depicted time travel. Actually, make that twice… At first, I went with the idea that there were infinite timelines and that each one was a result of just slightly different choices, but it seemed really confusing to me, so I scrapped it for this one. It seems to be easier to follow and just makes more sense for the story I want to tell. Sorry how long it took to post, but I just wanted to get it right for my readers. I've received some awesome PM's in regards to certain characters that were not brought up in the story and hope I was able to give you an acceptable answer. Again, if you're curious about anyone's fate that wasn't mentioned, shoot me a PM and I'll try to answer it for you. Thank you for all your reviews and messages! Until next time- iKLOT

 **The Official Shooting Star Falls AU Reading Order:**

Underage Discoveries On A Reckless Night: A Shooting Star Falls Prequel

A Shooting Star Falls

Echoes Of A Nearby Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Scarred Summer: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Dark Days of Candy Chiu: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Forever Memories: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Stable Times Or A Wild Ride?: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Grenda's Confession: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Birthday Weirdness In The Rose City: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Gift Of Forever: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Wendy & Dipper Vs The Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Life In Transit: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Pause The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story


	5. Chapter 5

**Pause The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **Part Five**

A flash of blue light filled the alleyway beside Northwest National Bank and Dipper once again emerged from it to find his surroundings familiar. Removing his smartphone from his pocket, he tapped the power button to display the time and date. Much to his surprise, the electronic device did not respond. "Huh… That's odd…" Dipper commented as he placed the presumably broken phone back into his pocket and walked out onto Northwest Boulevard. The young man immediately noticed that things seemed a bit off as he observed the townsfolk that went about their daily routines. Strolling down the sidewalk, Dipper could tell that he had overshot his intended destination on the timeline by quite a bit. "I don't get it, I should be back in the present…" he thought to himself. A maroon haired girl approached and the confused time traveler decided to ask her a few questions. "Hey! Excuse me! Miss!" he shouted as the petite woman stopped in her tracks. Dressed in black tennis shoes, slim blue jeans and a quarter zip black t-shirt, she appeared to be about high school age. "Hey! Sweet retro shirt! Did you pick that up at Mabel's?" she asked enthusiastically. "Uh… Yeah! Yes I did!" he fibbed as he tried to break the ice with the stranger. "God, I love her stuff! Riley is so lucky to have Mabel for a Mom! Her wardrobe is always cool!" the olive skinned woman gushed; Dipper not quite sure what she was talking about. "Ya know, you kinda look like her! A-Are you guys related or something?" the maroon maned teen inquired. "Uh… Yeah! I-I' m her older cousin... I came to visit for the summer…" he once again lied.

"Well… I'm Megan Bennett… I'm a friend of Riley's…" the teen girl said as she extended her slender hand. "Mason… Mason Pines…" Dipper introduced himself as he returned the gesture and shook her hand. I was just on my way to her house if you wanna come with…" the young woman offered. " _Oh my God... This guy is hella hot! I think this summer just got a whole lot more interesting…_ " she thought to herself as the pair began to walk side by side. "Bennett… Where have I heard that name before?" Dipper asked the teen girl. "Oh! Probably from my Dad… He's the Bassist from the band 'Gravity Shock'… You know, they started out right here… Played a place called 'Skull Crushers' and just happened to make a good impression on a manager for a more famous band who was in town… They got signed and the rest is history…" she told him as Dipper put two and two together. "So, your Dad is Nate Bennett… That's pretty neat…" he commented. "Yeah… It pretty much rules…" she said nonchalantly as they walked down a side street and away from the more densely populated downtown area. After about a mile, the sidewalk ended and they continued to stroll along the shoulder of the rural two lane road. "How much longer of a walk is it?" the brown haired twenty-one year old asked as his legs began to burn a bit from the trek. "We're almost there…" Megan replied as they rounded a curve in the road; a white, two story farmhouse coming into view. Set back from the road, it was surrounded by a white picket fence on a large plot of land.

' _McCaffrey_ ' the black metal mailbox at the end of the driveway read as Megan and Dipper walked up the dirt driveway that led to the home. "Riley! I'm here! And I brought a friend!" the maroon haired teen announced in a lilting voice as she opened the black screen door. The brown haired twenty-one year old followed her into the house, but paused in the fourier as his accomplice raced up a set of stairs which presumably led to Riley's room. Dipper wondered what to do in the home and how he would explain his existence. Suddenly a petite hand covered his mouth and he was pulled into the large living room of the farmhouse. The hazel eyes of the young man went wide as he wasn't quite sure what was happening. "I can't fucking believe this!" a feminine voice chastised the time traveling man as her hand left his mouth. He immediately recognized it as that of his twin sister Mabel. "Good to see you too sis…" Dipper deadpanned as he turned around and laid eyes on his sister. By his estimate, she was in her mid-thirties, but had managed to age incredibly well. Taking a quick glance around the room, he spied many a picture with both new and familiar faces. "How many times have you traveled!?" the brunette woman inquired with a bewildered tone of voice as Dipper wondered how exactly she knew. It then dawned on him that he had clipped the device to his belt. "This is my fourth time… I-I keep trying to fix things… I-I think I got it right this time though…" the younger man said as he stumbled over his words; trying to figure out why his sister was so upset at him.

"So… You've met Megan, huh?" Mabel said as she took a seat on the sofa and patted the one next to her. "Yeah… She said that Nate was her father…" Dipper replied as he sat down on the black and white cow spot patterned couch. "Yeah… He, Lee and Robbie are in a pretty good Neo-Grunge band… They don't tour as much as they used to, which is good for Megan… She's getting to that age where you have to keep an eye on her… Trust me; Riley is a handful herself… A-And Megan is practically my second daughter since her mother, well, isn't with us… So I'm at my limit… It's a good thing Nate's pitching in too…" Mabel said with a bit of a coy smile; a slight blush coming over her cheeks. Dipper got up from the couch and walked over to the mantle above the fireplace. The first picture he noticed was that of Mabel, a younger Riley and a tall blonde haired man. The trio appeared to be at an overlook on a mountain; large smiles displayed on their faces. "That's Ryan… M-My husband…" she commented in a saddened tone as tears began to fill her eyes. "Something bad happened to him, didn't it?" Dipper replied as he walked over and placed a caring hand on his sister's shoulder. "Yeah… He was a firefighter. A couple years back, we had a large forest fire break out and of course he went out to fight it. It went on for about a month and a half… I only saw him twice that entire time and all he wanted to do was sleep… Which of course I don't blame him for… Anyway, he and six other guys got cut off from their detachment… A-And… He never made it home... At least my last words to him were that I loved him…" the hazel eyed woman finished as the tears breached her eyelids and streamed down her face. "I-I'm so sorry…" Dipper said as he wrapped his sister up in a hug. "Thanks… He was a good man and I'm sure that wherever he is, he wouldn't want us to be sad… He'd want us to be happy and try to have some fun…" Mabel said while fidgeting with her wedding ring as she once again took a seat on the couch.

Unknown to either Pines twin, Riley and Megan had been observing the pair from the stairs; careful to stay out of sight. " _I-I can't make out what they're saying_ " the maroon haired teenager whispered to her best friend. " _I thought you said that you could read lips_ " Riley scoffed in a hushed tone as the duo continued to watch the goings on in the living room. " _Yeah, but not through the back of someone's skull…_ " Megan sarcastically shot back. "So… I see that Pacifica and I are still together… And we have _three_ daughters?!" he said with a bit of shock as he took the silver framed photo from the mantle and observed it closer. They were standing on the granite steps of a large government building, dressed in formal attire. Dipper stood proudly in a black suit; an arm draped around the shoulder of his wife. Pacifica was adorned in a very fashionable navy blue dress with a pin on the strap and standing in front of them were three smiling young girls. The tallest looked to be around twelve years old and sported a purple sleeveless dress; her blonde hair and blue eyes almost an exact replica of her mother at her age. The second looked to be around ten years of age and wore a white floral print dress; her sandy colored hair and hazel eyes being a blend of both parents look. The youngest of the children appeared to be about seven years old and wore a light pink dress with bright, multicolored leggings underneath. Her chestnut colored hair and blue eyes were accompanied by smile that was missing a few teeth. "Yeah, you guys have a cute family… I'm just glad that everything finally worked out with that… Pacifica went through a real rough patch there when she found out she couldn't conceive… Luckily, through the magic of science, you guys were able to get the family you wanted after all. Between her job and you guys, she's never been happier" Mabel informed the younger form of her brother who cohabitated the living room.

"So, is she still the Mayor of Gravity Falls?" Dipper asked as he once again took a seat. "HaHaHa… Nope…" the brunette chuckled as a look of confusion formed on the face of her twin brother. "Try multi-term Governor…" she eventually said after the laughter had subsided. "Governor!? That's pretty cool!" Dipper said with a bit of pride, as he had always admired the blonde heiress' ambition. "Yeah, she's even being rumored as a Presidential candidate for the next election in 2036… But that would mean you guys would have to pack up and move to Seattle…" Mabel added. "Uh, sis… I know that geography was never one of your strong suits… But the President lives in Washington, D.C., not Seattle…" the twenty-one year old man said. "That's the capital of the United States… Everyone knows that… But the capital of Cascadia is in Seat- " the thirty five year old woman began to explain before being cut off. "Cascadia?!" Dipper interrupted. Had his meddling in the events of the past resulted in formation of an entirely new nation or was it something that would have happened anyway? He eagerly awaited his sister to fill him in on the details of the supposedly new country. "Yeah, Cascadia… I'm going to give you a crash course in history bro-bro… So, we had a President who pretty much was a bully and started wars with countries that people hadn't even heard of. Eventually people out here on the west coast got fed up with it all and thought we could do it better ourselves… So, in 2024, a couple of states and a province decided to do just that… The Cascadian Republic was founded that fall and we've never looked back" Mabel finished as Dipper looked on with a skeptical expression.

" _That's it! I'm going downstairs to see just who this imposter is…_ " Riley said as she left her observation post and walked down the stairs. "Mom? Who's this?" Riley asked as both Dipper and Mabel turned around. The fifteen year old girl had long and flowing sandy hair; a mix between her mother and father. Her hazel eyes and facial features were a dead ringer for her mother at that age but her style was a bit more traditional than that of his twin sister. Dressed in a pair of skinny blue jeans with tears in them, a black t-shirt and a maroon cardigan, the muted look was in stark contrast to what her mother had worn at fifteen. "Riley… Honey…" Mabel began as she searched for some sort of explanation that a younger looking version of her uncle stood in their living room. "Megan said that he was my cousin… T-That's bullshit!" the teen girl shouted. "Actually… It's not" Dipper replied in a calm tone as Mabel and Riley both looked on with confused expressions. "You see… Your Uncle Dipper and Aunt Pacifica were having a hard time conceiving… And that's kinda where I come in…" the brown haired twenty-one year old said as both women listened intently. Megan gave up her spying post and joined the others in the living room as well. "Well… Your Aunt was feeling really down about the whole thing and your Uncle wanted nothing more than to give her what she wanted. He found a surrogate, who is my mother. Well, she wanted to go about things traditionally, so that's what they did. Without your Aunt Pacifica being none the wis-" Dipper explained before being cut off. "SO HE CHEATED ON HER TO GET ANOTHER WOMAN KNOCKED UP! THAT'S SO FUCKED UP! I MEAN, WHO EVEN DOES THAT?!" the sandy haired fifteen year old exploded. "Well, to be fair, your Aunt had floated that idea to him on more than one occasion from what I'm told… Anyway, nine months later, I was born. There was only one problem… Mom wanted to keep me… She went back on her agreement with your Uncle and that was that… Well, at least it was until a few months ago when I found out about it all… So that's why I'm here right now… To meet the Aunt and Cousin I never even knew I had…" Dipper finished. Mabel was spellbound by his lie and wondered how he had been able to make that up off the top of his head.

"Okay… So… It wasn't your fault… I-I'm sorry to hear that you've been lied to practically your entire life… I'm Riley McCaffrey and I guess I'm your Cousin…" the sandy haired teen said as she extended her hand. Dipper quickly returned the favor as his much larger digits dwarfed hers and he began to shake them. "So… Megan and I were going to go meet up with Mateo and the gang at the Shack for a bit if that's alright…" Riley informed her mother. "Alright honey, just be home in time for dinner…" Mabel replied as the duo had already made a break for the front door. "Alright Mom!" Riley shouted as the sound of the screen door slamming shut echoed throughout the house. "I've told her so many damn times not to slam that fucking door!" the brunette woman muttered to herself. "So… What happened to Megan's mom… Did she die in the fire too?" Dipper asked his sister. "Nah… Tambry passed away shortly after giving birth to Megan… To answer your next question, it was a heart attack from the stress of the whole thing. Apparently she had fought anorexia when she was about Riley's age and it had damaged her heart… Nate's been raising her on his own" the brunette thirty-five year old said in a sullen tone. " _Hmmm… So Nate and Tambry still get together in this timeline… I-I guess that she never knew about her heart condition since she never had a heart attack the night I got hit by the car…_ " Dipper thought to himself.

The time travelling twenty-one year old spent the better part of two hours filling his twin sister in on his multiple journeys throughout the timelines in order to save the people he cared most about. "So… Let me get this straight… You risked ruining the fabric of space and time to save my life?" Mabel asked as Dipper thought of a response that wouldn't piss her off. "Yeah…" was all he could muster to say. "And then because Pacifica and I live, Wendy dies? And then you stop Robbie and Wendy lives?" she asked as she tried to grasp all the changes he had made to the timeline. "Yeah… And speaking of her, what happened to Wendy? Did she and Robbie get together?" Dipper inquired; fearful of the answer he was about to receive. "Nah… She worked for the GFPD for a few more years and then was offered a position with the NYPD. She always wanted to live in New York, so she leapt at the opportunity. I dunno… She always seemed kinda down… Like she was longing for something… She kinda told me what that was at your wedding reception when she got totally hammered…" the brunette recalled as Dipper listened intently. "She said that she wished it was her at that altar rather than Pacifica… She wanted to be with you… She felt as if it were destined to happen and felt kinda jaded when it didn't come to pass… I mean, she was totally supportive of you and Pacifica being a thing, but she secretly hoped she'd have a shot. It wasn't long after your wedding she headed east. Last I heard, she was a detective in the Special Victims Unit… I really should call her and see how she's doing… It's just that it's been so nuts around here since Ryan passed… God I'm a shitty friend…" Mabel said with a sigh as she finished filling him in on the auburn maned woman's whereabouts.

Dipper felt something too. It wasn't any different than what Mabel had said Wendy felt. He still vaguely remembered his life with the ginger woman and his two infant daughters. He missed them terribly and longed to be reunited with them, but at the same time wanted to see his sister and Pacifica live their lives as well. A terrible conflict raged on inside the mind of the twenty one year old as he continued to contemplate just what to do. "Mabel… A-Am I horrible for saying that I wish I'd never found this damn thing? That I went home to Wendy and the girls and just continued to live my life? I mean, I love you guys and am so glad that I've got to see you live these amazing lives… And this seems to be the best one yet; but I just feel like things were supposed to turn out the way they did that day. That for some reason you guys had to be sacrificed for the good of the universe… I sound like I should be committed, huh?" Dipper finished as Mabel stood in the middle of the room. Her eyes filled with tears as she grappled with an existential crisis. She enjoyed her life despite the pain and loss she had suffered. Dipper seemed happy with Pacifica and their family. Wendy was alive and living in the one place she had always dreamed of. At the same time, she could tell that the time travelling Dipper was deeply conflicted. "Mason… I think that you know what you have to do…" she said with a shaky voice as tears filled her eyes. "Mabel… I-I love you so much… If this whole thing keeps going on when I'm gone… Please know that I'm happy… I'm happy that you were my sister for any amount of time…" he said with a sniffle as he pulled the square yellow device from his pocket and pulled the tape out. His first stop would be June 3rd, 2016 so that he could stop himself from intervening in the past. Then he would travel to what would be the near present he initially left and proceed to destroy the device once and for all. If he were successful, it would be almost as if none of the trips had ever happened. If he failed, he was off to yet another alternate future. Taking a deep breath, he let go of the silver strip of metal and a silver light filled the room as he travelled back through time once more.

 **Author's Note:** There will probably be just one more chapter in this story. It could have gone on forever, but I really wanna get back to the proper timeline for the Shooting Star Falls AU. This was a fun little trip into the what-ifs and whatnot, but I still feel like the original future I've come up with was the best one. This timeline was somewhat inspired by Jason Ritter's new show 'Kevin Probably Saves The World', which is a pretty good show. Well, until next time - iKLOT

 **The Official Shooting Star Falls AU Reading Order:**

Underage Discoveries On A Reckless Night: A Shooting Star Falls Prequel

A Shooting Star Falls

Echoes Of A Nearby Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Scarred Summer: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Dark Days of Candy Chiu: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Forever Memories: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Stable Times Or A Wild Ride?: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Grenda's Confession: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Birthday Weirdness In The Rose City: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Gift Of Forever: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Wendy & Dipper Vs The Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Life In Transit: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Pause The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story


	6. Chapter 6

**Pause The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **Part Six**

A blue light filled the living room of the abandoned farmhouse on the outskirts of Gravity Falls, and soon Dipper Pines found himself in the past once again; at least he hoped that he had arrived in the past. "Okay… So I have no idea what time it is or if I'm even at the right moment… I should probably go confirm that…" the brown haired twenty-one year old said to himself as he pulled out his phone; hoping that it would work once again. Much to his disappointment, it had failed to turn on and he was met with a blank screen. "Dammit! Why did Mabel have to live in a house so far away from downtown?" the young man asked himself as he began the roughly two mile trek back to town. The journey gave him some time to think. While he had enjoyed the most recent timeline he had been in, he sorely missed Wendy and his twin daughters; at least what he could remember of them. All he wanted was to wake up and discover that this had all been some sort of dream; that the futures and pasts he had experienced were nothing more than figments of his overly wild imagination. His feet began to feel a bit sore as his flat bottomed skate shoes were not the best choice for such a long walk. Luckily, his sneakers soon rejoined the cracked concrete sidewalk that lined the side of the road and he knew that his destination was not too much further away.

Glancing up at the clock tower on the Northwest National Bank, he observed that it was a little after noon; more than enough time for him to influence the timeline one final time. Taking a seat at the small corner café that served the inhabitants of the Pacific Northwest town with their much needed daily gourmet coffees, he thumbed through a copy of the Gravity Falls Gossiper. ' _Most Earthquake Damage Caused By Shaking_ ' the headline of the paper read. "Well duh…" the brown haired man scoffed as he continued to read the headlines. Glancing up, he spied a familiar looking man in a red flannel pattered shirt. "Okay… Showtime… You can do this…" he encouraged himself as he got up from his seat and walked towards the slightly younger version of himself. "Hey…" he said as the two made eye contact. "H-Holy shit! I-I can't see myself! What if this tears the fabric of time and space!" the recently arrived Dipper said. "Well… We're both still here… So apparently it didn't" the young man who was adored in a maroon t-shirt sarcastically replied. "Okay… But if you're here… Then something must not have gone right…" the plaid adorned Dipper pointed out. "Well… Yeah… It turns out that this whole time traveling to fix the past thing was a terrible idea… No matter what you do… I-It won't change the future in a positive way…" the t-shirt wearing Dipper fibbed. He'd love to tell the earlier version of himself that he was married to Pacifica and that they had kids. That she was the Governor and that Mabel was alright; that Wendy was living in New York City and was a detective there. Deep down inside though, he knew that the less he knew about the potential futures that awaited him, the better.

"Well… That's a letdown…" the plaid adorned twenty-one year old replied in a somewhat dejected tone. "Yeah… At least you didn't have to see those outcomes… Just go back to the present and be grateful for what you still have… Because trust me, it could be a whole lot worse…" the maroon shirt clad Dipper adamantly tried to dissuade himself. "Well… I don't think I'd lie to myself… So I'll do that… Thanks for the heads up… Uh… Future me?" the clearly confused man said before removing the tape measurer from his pocket and pulling the tape out. Soon, a blinding blue light flashed in front of Dipper and the earlier version of himself was gone. "Well… That sucked, but it was for the greater good… Now to travel back to the almost present and see if A: It's how it's supposed to be… And B: Destroy the device before I find it…" the brown haired man said to himself as he removed the tape measurer from his pocket and pressed the forward button on it. Pulling out the silver tape four years and three months into the future, he hoped that he had managed to succeed.

Dipper arrived back in what he perceived to be the present day, but decided to check his phone just to make sure. Much to his relief, the digital device once again worked. ' _Monday August 31_ _st_ _, 2020 7:35pm_ ' the display read, indicating that he had arrived at both the date and time. "Well… Let's just get this all over with…" the twenty-one year old said to himself as he set off for Lake Gravity Falls. The nearly two mile hike left him with plenty of time to think as he walked along the earthen shoulder of the two lane road. "I wonder what is going to happen to me if I destroy this thing…" he thought to himself. If he destroyed the time traveling device and prevented himself from traveling into the past, would he himself fail to exist? "Damn… That makes my brain hurt… Best not to worry about all that…" the young man decided as he neared his destination. The orange glow of the setting late summer sun glistened off of the almost mirror like surface of the lake; Dipper squinting his eyes as he began to search the shoreline for the small plastic cased device. "I just have to think… Where did I park when I got here?" he pondered to himself as he heard the rumble of the muscle car's engine tear through the forest. "Well… That was convenient…" Dipper observed as he saw the older model car come to halt; a distraught twenty-one year old behind the wheel.

Careful to avoid drawing attention to himself, he scoured the ground in the ever fading light of the early evening. He was about to give up the extensive search when he observed what looked like an odd looking rock on the ground. "Yes!" he quietly cheered to himself. Picking up the time traveling tape measurer, he removed the one he had found earlier himself from his pocket. He heard the door of the muscle car creak open and turned to see the earlier version of himself exit the vehicle. The upset man carried a six pack of cheap beer in his left hand and his phone in his right. "It'll be alright man… I promise that it'll be alright…" he encouraged the young man from a distance. A tree stump near the edge of the forest would be the scene of where the troublesome devices would meet their demise. Placing them on the timber alter, he picked up a large rock and held it high above his head. "Let's hope this works…" he said to himself as he threw it down at the pair of square plastic tools. Dipper scored a direct hit on them with the stone and he noted the bright light beginning to shine through cracks in the cases. Picking up the rock, he once again threw it down at the stump; this time putting a bit more effort behind it. Cracking and hissing sounds came from the time traveling devices as they briefly let out a blinding blue flash before going dark. "I wonder what happens now?" the young man asked. Taking out his wallet, he removed a picture of himself, Wendy and his twin girls.

In the distance, a tipsy Dipper began his walk upon the shoreline of Lake Gravity Falls, but unlike last time, failed to stumble upon the time traveling tape measurer. Instead, a bright blue flash from the edge of the woods caught his attention. His usual hesitation slayed by the alcoholic beverages he had consumed, he decided to investigate. Much to his disappointment, all he found were broken bits of plastic and metal. "P-People need to be less messy… This is a f-fucking State Park for crying out loud… Not a damn trash can…" he drunkenly proclaimed to himself. He began to pick up the miscellaneous bits of debris that lay scattered on the ground when a piece of paper flapping in the light breeze caught his attention. It was a photograph. Flipping it over, he was taken aback by just who was on the discarded picture. "What the hell?!" he said in a bewildered whisper. Quickly taking out his wallet, he confirmed that the photo wasn't the one he carried on his person at all times, for that was safely in its protective plastic sleeve. He noticed a hastily scribbled message on the bottom of it. "I-I may have had a few beers… B-But I'm pretty damn sure that's my handwriting…" the young man thought to himself. 'Never take them for granted' the message said. "I never will…" he said to himself as his hazel eyes began to water up.

Walking back to his car, he was still trying to make sense of what he had just seen. While he usually enjoyed a good mystery, today wasn't the best time for one to find him. All he wanted to do was forget about the pain of losing Mabel and Pacifica. To forget the fact that while he celebrated yet another birthday, his twin sister would not. While thoughts of finding a way to prevent the deaths from happening had festered in him in the weeks following the tragedy, he soon found his mind focused on something else. The wellbeing of a certain auburn haired woman was all that mattered to the young man. He had already lost too much and would be damned if yet another one of the people he cared about would be taken because of the senselessness. Soon, he felt himself falling for Wendy Corduroy, despite letting go of his then preteen crush years ago. The rest was history. "You know what? It sucks that Mabel and Pacifica aren't here anymore, but at least I still have Wendy… A-And the girls now too… A-And my parents… And the Grunkles… And all my wonderful friends. I guess I still have a lot to be grateful for…" he thought to himself as he once again took a seat on the cool metal hood of the muscle car. "I-I shouldn't have stormed out of that party… Everyone just wanted me to have a good time and I went and ruined it… God I'm an asshole…" Dipper said as the sound of a vehicle approached.

The bright headlights cut through the twilight and nearly blinded the brown haired man as he turned around to see who was pulling up. Wendy put the onyx colored sport utility into park and practically leapt from it. "DIPPER!" the familiar voice of the twenty-three year old woman called out as the young man slid off the hood and began to walk towards the second vehicle. "W-Wendy?" he half-drunkenly stammered. "Mason! A-Are you alright?!" she asked with concern as the outline of her husband approached. "Yeah… And look… I-I'm sor-" he began to apologize before finding himself wrapped up in a tight hug by the slightly shorter woman. Her supple lips met his and soon the two were enveloped in a deep and passionate kiss. While the world had already been spinning a bit for Dipper, it now did so in an entirely different way as he held his wife and returned her affection. A few moments later, she broke the kiss and looked him in the eyes. "It's okay… Today is a really rough day for ya… I-I guess that I just got so wrapped up in the whole twenty-first birthday hype that I didn't stop and think about how you were feeling… If anyone owes anybody an apology, it's me…" the redhead said as the two stood in the light that her truck cast out into the darkness.

"It's just that I was feeling down... I mean, if I'm being honest here, I feel guilty that I get to even have a birthday… I miss her Wen… I miss her so damn much…" Dipper said as he began to weep. "It's okay to feel that way Mason… She's your twin sister… This day means a lot to you… I get that… I mean, if you wanna just call this whole thing off, I can call everyo-" Wendy consoled the upset man before he interjected. "No! I-I mean… It's okay… I'm better now… I should celebrate my twenty first birthday… After all, you only get one… Besides, I know that Mabel would want me to have fun. She'd want me to be grateful for all the wonderful people in my life who were only trying to have a good time with me… And you know what? I'm going to do that… So I have to apologize for worrying everyone…" Dipper said as he wiped a stray tear from his cheek. "Well… For that… And for putting the taste of that cheap ass beer in my mouth…" Wendy said with a chuckle as she tried to lighten the mood a bit. "Well, to be fair, it was my first time buying beer…" he playfully retorted. "I have much to teach you about the ways of purchasing quality alcohol young grasshopper…" the ginger woman teased as she noogied the head of her lover. "Well then, let's get started…" Dipper said as he once again pecked his wife's lips. "Sounds like a plan to me…" the young woman said as she climbed back into her truck; the passenger side seat now occupied by her husband as the pair set off for Skullcrusher's, the dive bar where the birthday adventure was set to begin. "So… How upset was everyone that I kinda just stormed out before having a single drink?" the brown haired passenger asked his freckled wife. "They were more worried than anything else… Everyone just wants you to be alright… Speaking of which… Can you give Tambers a call and tell her that you're okay? She was especially worried about you… Oh, and also tell her that we're back on for the party…" Wendy asked as she wheeled the truck through the twists and turns of the rural road that led back to town. Fishing the faux wooden cased phone from the black cloth purse of his lover, he selected the purple haired woman's number and began the call.

Tambry sat on a bar stool as she nervously rubbed her midsection. "I hope Wendy was able to find Dipper… Dude was hella upset… But I guess I'd be too if I had to deal with all that stuff…" she thought to herself as she watched Soos, Nate, Lee and Thompson shoot some pool at a well-worn table. Suddenly, she heard her phone vibrate against the table she had placed it on. "Hello?" the olive skinned woman asked as she held the device close to her ear to hear the caller over the ruckus of the bar. "Tambry… I-It's Dipper…" the birthday boy said as the lights of the small town appeared in the distance. "Oh my God! A-Are you alright?" the mother-to-be asked with a concerned tone. Over the years, the young woman had grown to count Dipper among her closest of friends and was troubled by his actions earlier in the evening. "Y-Yeah… Look, I'm sorry about before… I-If I scared anyone… I-I'm okay now though. We're a few minutes away, so we'll be there soon…" the chestnut haired man said as he held the phone towards Wendy. "Hey girl! See you soon!" she shouted into the speaker. "Okay! See you soon!" Tambry cheerfully replied as she ended the call. "HEY GUYS! THAT WAS DIPPER AND WENDY! THE PARTY'S BACK ON!" she shouted to the group of friends. She was soon met with cheers as everyone was relieved that Dipper was alright.

"You alright honey?" asked a somewhat concerned Wendy as she glanced over at her twenty-one year old husband, who leaned against the window with his elbow. "Yeah… I-I just have this feeling that I can't shake…" he replied in a shallow voice. "And what would that be?" the ginger woman asked; intrigued by what he may have to say. "Remember that photo that we took a few months ago?" the brown haired man asked as he maintained his pose against the glass. "Yeah… The one you always carry with you…" she replied. "Well… I-I had stopped by the corner store to grab a case of beer… I-I just wanted to get trashed and forget about everything… And I did… Until I found this…" Dipper said as he pulled the duplicate picture from his pocket. "That's the picture I always carry with me… But I have mine on me… I-I found this one by a bunch of metal and plastic garbage. This is a second one… A copy… Only, I never made a copy of it…" the chestnut haired man said as he pulled out his wallet and held them side by side. "What does the one you found say on it?" a curious Wendy asked as they entered downtown. "It says to never take you guys for granted… And it's in my handwriting…" he said in a shaky voice; still stunned by the seemingly random appearance of the duplicate picture. "Look… It's been a long day for you… Whatever this mystery is, I'm sure that you can put it off for a night…" Wendy replied as she tried to calm her husband down. "You know what? You're right… Let's just have fun tonight… After all, you only get to have a twenty first birthday once…" Dipper said as they pulled into the parking lot of the dive bar on a now drizzly night in Gravity Falls, Oregon.

 **Author's Note:** So, this is the last chapter… Sorry for the delay, but this time of the year is kinda nuts for me. I hope you all enjoyed the story and as always, feel free to review this or any other story. I love the feedback and sometimes you guys help inspire me when I need it most. Until next time - iKLOT

 **The Official Shooting Star Falls AU Reading Order:**

Underage Discoveries On A Reckless Night: A Shooting Star Falls Prequel

A Shooting Star Falls

Echoes Of A Nearby Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Scarred Summer: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Dark Days of Candy Chiu: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Forever Memories: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Stable Times Or A Wild Ride?: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Grenda's Confession: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Birthday Weirdness In The Rose City: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Gift Of Forever: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Wendy & Dipper Vs The Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Life In Transit: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Pause The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story


	7. Epilogue

**Pause The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **Epilogue**

In the attic of the Pines family home, a pair of curious preteen sisters searched the many cardboard boxes that filled it. A lone window let the bright sunlight of the late morning illuminate the room as dust particles danced in the air. " _So_ … Remind me again why we decided to skip going to the mall with Grendy, Mateo and Luke?" Mabel asked her twin sister as she rifled through one of the containers. "I've always been curious as to what's up here… Besides the Christmas decorations and all that junk…" Pacifica replied as she swept a lock of her brunette hair from her face. "Uh… Spoiler alert… It's just other decorations, that workout machine Dad bought a few years ago when he was going through that whole health nut phase and some old clothes… There is literally nothing interesting up here…" the auburn haired twelve year old complained as she opened yet another box. "AWWW! Check it out Mabes!" the young woman said as she pulled down the zipper on a long black garment bag that hung from one of the rafters. " _Is that?_ " Mabel asked with a reverent tone of voice. " _Mom's wedding dress…_ " her chestnut maned twin said in a humbled whisper. "It's so beautiful!" the redhead commented as she walked closer to get a better look.

The pair removed it from its protective bag and imagined how their mother must have looked that day. The daughter of a lumberjack, Wendy Corduroy wasn't always seen as the most feminine of role models in the small Pacific Northwest town. Prior to her wedding day, the only times she could recall wearing a dress were the day of her mother's funeral, prom night and her high school graduation. She had always been a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl, but even she was swayed by the fantasy of grand wedding, complete with a spectacular wedding dress. For weeks the ginger woman had searched high and low for the perfect dress, only to be disappointed time and time again. Walking through the mall, she had abandoned all hope, when a display in the window of a shop caught her eye. The emerald green dress shimmered in the sunlight, its satin material seemingly having golden and emerald sparkles embedded in it. The moment she laid eyes on it, she knew she had found the dress for the most important day in her life; the day that she would marry the love of her life, Mason Pines. The girls had seen pictures of their mother on her wedding day, but they failed to fully display the majesty of the stunning dress.

After fawning over the dress for a few minutes, the twin girls put it back into its bag and resumed their search of the attic. "Mabel and Pacifica's stuff?!" Mabel asked with confusion as she opened up the large brown box. "It must be from when we were little or something…" Pacifica surmised as she walked over to join her sister. "Whoah!" the redhead said with excitement as she peered in and immediately spotted an item that she had seen in a few photographs over the years, but had never seen in person. Lifting it by the shoulders, she pulled a bright pink sweater out of the box and shook it a few times. A small dust cloud hung in the air for a moment and both girls were lost for words. "I-Is that one of Aunt Mabel's sweaters?!" Pacifica asked with amazement as she noted the shooting star embroidered on the front of it. "Yeah… And it's even more awesome than Mom and Dad made it seem… Remember when Mom told us that Aunt Mabel literally knitted hundreds of these things… I kinda doubted her… But as they say, the proof is in the pudding… Err… The sweater…" Mabel chimed in. "Look! Here's another! This one has a Llama on it!" she exclaimed as she tossed the tan garment at her sister. "I don't know why, but I really like this one…" Pacifica said as she examined it. "Try it on!" her auburn haired twin encouraged. Pulling it over her head, she took note of the sweet scent it still held. What the young woman did not know, was that it was Pacifica Northwest's favorite perfume that she had caught a whiff of.

Following Pacifica's lead, she soon joined her sister by donning the bright pink sweater. Reaching back into the box, Mabel removed a large framed picture from what looked to be a party. She immediately recognized most everyone in the photograph. "There's Mom, Dad, Aunt Mabel, Aunt Pacifica, Mr. Ramirez, Grendy's mommies and the Great Grunkles… They're all there…" the young woman observed. "Look at how young they all were… Dad and Aunt Mabel had to have been about our age…" Pacifica said as they removed a bright pink photo album from the box and began to thumb through it. "Hey… Have you seen the girls?" Dipper asked from the living room as he watched the Seattle Navigators baseball game. "Nah… I haven't seen them all morning…" Wendy replied as she leaned over the back of the sofa and wrapped her tattooed arm around her husband. "They're being quiet… _Too quiet…_ " the chestnut haired man said as his wife nodded in agreement. "Well… I'm going to go check on them…" Wendy said as she pecked her husband on the cheek. "Need some backup?" Dipper asked as he stood up from the couch. "But the game…" the ginger woman said. "Eh, we're playing New York… This game was over before it even started… There's a reason they have thirty-four world titles… Let's go see what kind of trouble they're getting into…" the thirty-three year old man replied as the duo began their trek upstairs.

Reaching the top of the steps, they saw that the ladder to the attic had been pulled down and the voices of their daughters could faintly be heard. "Looks like they went in search of a mystery… Wonder where they got that from?" Wendy teased as she wrapped her arm around her husband and gave him a side hug. "Well, it takes some bravery to go up there… And I know where that comes from…" he chuckled as the redhead led the way up the ladder, Dipper following close behind. "Enjoying the view" the freckled woman teased as her husband's face turned a rosy hue. "I've had worse…" he coyly replied. Wendy poked her head into the dimly lit room and spotted her daughters sitting in the sunlight that the window cast into it; their backs to her as they huddled over a book. Wendy turned back to her husband and held her index finger up to her lips. Dipper nodded as he understood his wife and soon the pair found themselves standing in the dingy attic. The husband and wife walked slowly hand-in-hand towards their daughters; not sure of what they had found among the many boxes that cluttered the storage room.

After observing the pair of twin girls for a few moments, Wendy decided to break the silence. "Hey girls… Find anything neat up here?" the thirty-six year old woman asked as she knelt down behind them. "Oh, hey Mom! Yeah… We found all sorts of cool stuff up here… Like these!" Mabel said with excitement as she pinched the shoulders of her sweater and held it out for her Mom to see as she turned around. Dipper froze in place as his daughter stood up; the red haired teen girl looking almost exactly like his sister at that age. The bright pink shooting star sweater was just as oversized on his daughter as it was on Mabel when she was twelve. Apart from the auburn mane she had inherited from her mother, the preteen was the spitting image of the long deceased girl. "Yeah! There were a few of them in there… Like this one!" Pacifica said as she put the scrapbook down and stood up to join her sister. "Of course she'd wear that one…" Dipper thought to himself as his eyes watered up. He hadn't seen the infamous llama sweater in almost seventeen years, yet it looked to be untouched by the hands of time. Even the grease stain from when Mabel and Dipper had introduced the sheltered heiress to her first greasy slice of pizza remained on the chest of it. Pacifica had felt horrible about it, as she knew Mabel had spent a lot of time and effort on making it for her, but the cheery young woman had reassured her that the garment was now truly hers. "What do you think Dad?!" Pacifica asked excitedly as she ran her hands through her long brunette hair. "I think you guys look amazing! I-It's like I found some sort of time machine and stepped back to my childhood… Isn't that right Wendy?" he replied as he turned and faced his wife, who had been fighting a losing effort against the tears that filled her eyes. "Y-Yeah… You girls are beautiful…" the auburn haired mother said as she buried her face into her slightly taller husband's t-shirt covered shoulder and began to sob.

"I-Is Mom alright?" Mabel asked as she and her sister approached their parents. They knew that Mabel and Pacifica had passed a few years before they were born and had heard many a tale of their exploits in the small town. This was the first time, however, that they had actually held tangible items that their late Aunts had once owned. "Y-Yeah… She just loved your Aunts a lot, and to be honest… You two wearing those sweaters make you look almost exactly like them…" Dipper explained to the twins. "W-We can take them off if it's upsetting you guys…" Pacifica said as she grabbed the bottom hem of the garment and began to pull it up. "No! I-I mean… It's fine… I'm sure they would have loved to have seen their nieces wearing them… In fact, they would have really gotten a kick out of it…" the brown haired man said as a reassuring smile formed on his face. Wendy lifted her head from her husband's shoulder and wiped away the tears from her eyes. "Yeah… They would be rolling around on the floor laughing… I-It's just like your father said… You two are the spitting image of them… I guess it just got to me a little bit… Sorry…" the redhead apologized as she took a knee to get to their eye level. "Don't be sorry Mom… You loved them a lot and we just reminded you of them…" Mabel, the more mature of the duo, said. "I do have to ask though… How did she not die of heat stroke from wearing these all summer long…We're, like, in the air conditioning right now and I'm sweating buckets…" Pacifica chimed in. "I know, right?" Wendy agreed with her daughter as a lighter mood began to fill the room. "Well… I did do a 'Guide To' about it… I even think I still have the DVD of it somewhere up here…" the hazel eyed man said as he walked over to a box labeled ' _Dipper's Adventure Stuff_ '. "Guide To?" the girls asked skeptically in unison. "And what's a DVD?" Pacifica asked; a question that made Dipper and Wendy feel ancient instantly. "Score! Here they are… All of them!" the thirty-three year old man proudly proclaimed as he held nearly two dozen DVD cases in his arms. "Oh boy, are you two in for a treat…" Wendy chuckled as the quartet made their way downstairs to watch the videos.

Hooking up a very dusty DVD player to the large television in the living room, he placed the first disc into the device. Static filled the screen and for a fleeting second the brown haired man had thought they had degraded to the point that they couldn't be played. Then, much to his relief, the younger form of himself appeared on the screen; dressed in an orange t-shirt, grey shorts and long white socks. "And that concludes Gravity Falls anomaly number thirteen, the Mobius chicken strip…" the chestnut haired boy said as he practically inhaled the deep fried snack from a cardboard tray. "Oh My God! It's Dad!" Pacifica shouted out with laughter. "It's infinitely delicious!" he proclaimed before a grumbling creature streaked across the screen. "Whoah! Huh? What the? Hey!" the young man shouted as it knocked over his camcorder; causing it to tumble to the hardwood floor below. "Mabel! Did you see that?!" he shouted as he picked up the camera and aimed it at his twin sister, who was fast asleep; a soft smile on her face. "I-It's Aunt Mabel! Aww! She's so cute!" Mabel exclaimed. Dipper's finger appeared in frame and poked the slumbering preteen girl, causing her to stir. "Wake Up!" he commanded, but was met by indifference from his twin. "Never. Let me sleep forever" she bluntly said before rolling over. The quartet let out a collective chuckle at the comment; the first of many that would be heard in the Pines household on that summer afternoon as they watched the old recordings.

 **My Playlist for this chapter:**

The Black Keys – "Fever"

The Glorious Sons – "Everything Is Alright"

The Offspring – "Can't Repeat"

Paramore – "Hard Times"

Thirty Seconds To Mars ft. Kanye West – "Hurricane 2.0"

ODESZA/WYNNE – "Line Of Sight"

 **Author's Note:** So, I know I said I was done with this story, but because of the feedback I got, I decided to write one more chapter. This is the informal introduction to my next story, which will take place the following summer when the girls are thirteen. Also, I originally was going to have them commentate on the whole Dipper's Guide To The Unexplained #76: That Thing, but it would have ended up being too long. I may still do a sort of spin off series where they do that. I'm thinking it would be sort of in the style of Mystery Science Theater 3k (Which if you haven't watched it, go check out a few clips on YouTube, it's a classic IMO). I'm still trying to come up with a title for my next story and work out some of the details on it, so there may be a bit of a lull in releases from me until I figure all that out. I want to thank each and every one of you that have taken the time to read what I've wrote over the past year and a half. It's really inspiring to me that my words can have an emotional effect on people. I am truly humbled. As always, be sure to check out my other stories and feel free to review them as well if you want. I read every single one of them and love the feedback. Until we meet again -iKLOT

 **The Official Shooting Star Falls AU Reading Order:**

Underage Discoveries On A Reckless Night: A Shooting Star Falls Prequel

A Shooting Star Falls

Echoes Of A Nearby Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Scarred Summer: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Dark Days of Candy Chiu: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Forever Memories: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Stable Times Or A Wild Ride?: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Grenda's Confession: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Birthday Weirdness In The Rose City: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Gift Of Forever: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Wendy & Dipper Vs The Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Life In Transit: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Pause The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story


End file.
